John M. Bernard’s scientific contributions

Winter biomass and nutrient contents were determined for five central New York wetlands. The sites dominated by Carex lacustris and C. rostrata were characterized by having a relatively large aboveground standing crop and a corresponding high nutrient content in those tissues. The sites dominated by Carex lanuginosa, Sparganium eurycarpum, and Typha glauca had small aboveground, but massive belowground, standing crops. Nutrient supply in these species was concentrated in belowground tissues. All species had large winter biomass values ranging from 610 g/m2 in Carex lacustris to 1158 g/m2 in Typha glauca.

In central Minnesota winter biomass was determined for Typha glauca and Sparganium eurycarpum after all the current year's growth had died. Typha had 1040 g/m2 of living material of which 954 g/m2 were roots and rhizomes and 86 g/m2 were new shoots. The old shoots which had just died weighed 946 g/m2 Sparganium had 682 g/m2 total living material consisting of 656 g/m2 roots and rhizomes and 26 g/m2 new shoots The old dead shoots weighed 543 g/m2. Annual below-ground rhizome production is here estimated to be 371 g/m2/year in Typha and 225 g/m2/year in Sparganium.

The mature upland forests of Cape May County, the most southerly county in New Jersey, show a decided southern affinity. The floristic diversity is not as great as areas to the south but the major species on a vegetational basis are clearly important members of the southern mixed hardwood forest. These mature stands have little in common with the vegetation of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The Cape May forests are here considered to be outliers of the southern mixed hardwood forests.